The Survival Game
by HelterSkelterKindaGirl
Summary: / full summary inside, ericxcalleigh, other pairings slight crossover with Saw series \ With the team still in mend mode from the end result of Sam's actions, Horatio has to rebuild. But when they start to investigate a string of grisly murders that are based on the Jigsaw killings, will the team be able to mend and stop the killer, known as the Decider before he takes one of them?
1. 01: Notes, Summary and Disclaimers

& A Few Notes From The Author:

*****PAY ATTENTION THIS SHIT BELOW IS IMPORTANT. VERY IMPORTANT. AND DETAILED. VERY DETAILED. I DON'T LIKE PEOPLE GETTING MAD BECAUES THEY DON'T LIKE SURPRISES, SO I'M BEING UP FRONT.*****

** [disclaimers and warnings]**

I do not own CSI nor do I own SAW.

There will be blood, gore and romance (mostly sex and flirting, innuendo, because I'm not so great with fluff in large doses)..

This plot is BASED on SAW. The killer will NOT call himself Jigsaw however, but another name. It's the same setup though.

If you **don't** like **alternate universe or canon x oc pairings**, I wouldn't advise you to keep reading this.

**[need to know information]**

**TimxOc x Ryan**: if this is going to be a problem, then for Christ's sakes, do not, I repeat do not, read beyond this point. Eventually, one guy or the other will wind up with my oc, but that's up to reader input. I might hold a vote, because to be honest, I haven't written more than a test chapter for this, I'm posting that to see if it gets any positive feedback. Seeing as I've only written a chapter thus far, I will most likely let the readers vote on who is paired with oc at the end.

If you will notice, when I post the first chapter, i insinuate that Ryan and Tim didn't get along. I'm operating from the mindset that Tim is Eric's best friend, and Eric's always been more than a little wary of Ryan, though they're friends.

**Season 11, opening case**: Okay, and this will probably span the entire damn story too. It's a series of grisly killings that come across as a Jigsaw impersonator. Given that this is of course, AU, and it's sort of a crossover, not really, in this 'world' Jigsaw actually was real, not a movie series.

**There is a chance (no, nevermind, forget chance, I'm going to do it, just for kicks,)that I might be bringing back Tim Speedle.** In this 'world', again, since it is AU, he hasn't been dead. He switched forensics teams, and worked on the night shift. The entire gun episode (which considering I was a fan of his, was painful for me, to watch) didn't happen. If this is a problem, do not keep reading the story.

**[ I want to play a little game with you ]**

Over the years, the CSI team under the leadership of Lieutenant Horatio Caine have seen things and solved cases that they never imagined could happen. But when a serial killer emerges only calling himself The Decider (who was inspired by a similar killer named jigsaw), in Miami, can they put a stop to his spree before he takes one of their own?

Just how far will Decider go to make his victims suffer at his hands before he is caught? And how will this killing spree effect the recovering CSI Unit, who are still reeling in the events that the end of season 10 left with?

*_picks up where season 10 ended, the team has replaced Sam with two people, one being a returning Tim Speedle, the other being my oc.*_

**_IF YOU EVEN THINK YOU MIGHT WANT TO SEE MORE OF THIS, REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW. BECAUSE AS OF RIGHT NOW, ALL I HAVE IS A CHAPTER ONE WRITTEN. I'M JUST SEEING WHAT KIND OF REACTION THIS WILL GET FIRST._**


	2. 02: The Game's Beginning

**_[ The Game Begins]_**

Lieutenant Horatio Caine sat at his desk, poring over employee files. Somehow, he had to fill the hole that was created when Sam was arrested, and had to be released. And lately, the lab was also getting a little more overworked.

Suffice to say, he was actually thinking that hiring two people instead of the one they really needed was a better idea.

His blue eyes gazed up at the door as it opened, and as Tim Speedle stepped through, and sat down, he asked casually, "Have you ever given any thought to coming back to the lab, Tim?"

The man paused, raked a hand through longer dark hair and shrugged. He had, but then again, he hadn't really considered it for a long period of time. " It's crossed my mind, H.. But why are you asking me this?"

"Just curious. Because we would really like to have you back on days, if you want to come back." Horatio spoke carefully, as he twisted the pen between his fingers, studied the expression on Tim's face.

"Can I think about it?" he asked, knowing already that his answer would be yes, because anything, and he knew absolutely anything beat working Homicide.

The cases were brutal, and some you never found a resolution to. This bothered him, because he didn't too much care for having to mark a case closed without a good reason.

But then he'd remind himself how he'd not have been able to tolerate working with Ryan Wolfe, whom he didn't particularly care for the handful of times they'd had occasion to meet, and he'd realize that he was just avoiding conflict. It was in the better interest of the team.

Or it had been, when the opening came on Homicide, back then. Now, Tim just wasn't sure if he could keep working like that. He got into this line of work to help people, and to solve crimes, not offer excuses and condolences when there wasn't enough information to go on, to solve the case and bring someone closure.. If he had to, he could ignore Wolfe, right?

He paused at the door, and said casually, "When can I start? I've missed the hell out of you guys, in all honesty. And I thought I wanted to be a Homicide detective, but I just don't think I'm cut out for it, in all honesty."

Horatio nodded and smiling said calmly, "You can start now, if you like. I've already talked to your supervisor, he's fine with it. I just wanted to ask you first."

Tim smirked and made his way down to the break room, because the day hadn't quite started yet and the first person he encountered was Eric who hugged him so tightly he thought he'd have to punch the guy to get loose.

"Damn man.. Kinda hurt." Tim said as he started to talk to everyone, sort of just biding time before he sprung the news on them.

Ryan walked in quietly, a bitter look on his face from lack of sleep lately. Once again, he'd done it. He'd went with his heart and not his head, and the result was his getting screwed over, yet again.

He grumbled as he made his coffee, and then he heard Tim Speedle bragging about being back on the team.

"This is just perfect. " he muttered sarcastically to himself as he watched the rest of his team, the people who were his friends, fussing over Tim's returning. But, being a good sport, and a decent guy, even if he didn't always show it, he made his way over and smiled, held out his hand.

Tim studied Ryan a moment, then a smirk filled his face and he said "I guess if you're cool with my boy Delko, I can deal." as he shook the hand offered. The two men studied each other for a moment, quietly, then the topic turned to the news that morning.

"Can you believe someone's actually trying to copy that.. that creep? Right here in Miami." Natalia muttered as she turned her gaze from the television long enough to catch Ryan's eye, offer him a soothing smile.

Sometimes, she felt awful that it hadn't worked for them, and blamed herself.

Eric spoke up, " Hey.. don't go jumpin to any conclusions yet, Nat. I mean noone's called us to investigate, and Miami is our jurisdiction. Besides, there was only the one body."

Calleigh shivered, snuggled against her fiancé and sipping her coffee said grimly, " But the note, Eric.. Even you said, just last night that the note they found.."

"I know what I said, babe, but still.. Doesn't mean someone is copying Jigsaw. Besides, that guy fried last week. Why would someone in Miami copy? It wasn't a very long running media thing.."

Walter said quietly, "I don't know, Eric.. I kinda agree with Nat.. I mean the one body, but look how they found it, and in what shape they found it in. One of the guys on Nights was processing the evidence and even he thinks it's a Jigsaw copycat."

Tim shrugged and raking his hand through his hair said quietly, "We'll catch whoever it is. If we ever even get called in on this. So far, the killing happened at night. Not likely that he'll just start offing people in the day time."

The break room door opened and Lieutenant Caine peeked in as he said calmly, "They've found another body, in a warehouse, and we've been called to the scene." As he shut the door, a 27 year old brunette from nights, that he'd been thinking of asking to switch over to days approached.

"Lieutenant Caine?" the young brunette asked cautiously, quietly as she looked up at him, before continuing, "My supervisor said you wanted to see me?"

"Come to my office." Lieuntenant Caine said as he lead the young woman down the hall.

They took a seat at his desk and he asked her, "Would you consider coming onto the day shift? I understand you just got your Level 3 qualification, and are still working in the lab."

Veronica nodded and then asked, "Would I be able to do field work?" casually. She hoped that his answer would be yes, because she was tired of just being in the lab. She realized that she'd already be in the field if nights had an opening for her to even do fieldwork, but all the same, she was finally doing the job she'd dreamt of doing for a long time, and she was just waiting for a chance, anything really.

She was one of the smartest in her class, she'd taken all the firearms training, everything they'd offered, she'd taken. Now she just wanted her chance.

Was she finally getting it?

"Yes. Actually, if you're willing, and you want to start today, we're sending the team out to a location right now. Just catch CSI Wolfe and CSI Speedle." Lieutenant Caine said as he rose to open the door. As it happened, both men were walking down the hallway.

"Take Ms. Gilbert with you, please?" Horatio commanded quietly, as the two males nodded, before fixing eyes on Veronica.

Veronica walked over quietly, a kit ready. She kept quiet for most of the ride there, because she realized that she was the new girl, and it'd take them a while to trust her really.

Plus, she just wasn't much of a talker, in all honesty.

The Hummer pulled into an abandoned warehouses parking lot, and the three of them got out, joining everyone else that'd already gotten there. Veronica walked around the large room the body was in, carefully.

When she saw the writing on the wall in blood, she tried to ignore the strong urge to throw up. She didn't want to look like she couldn't handle her job.

But the blood wasn't what got to her, it was the message on the wall.

A reminder of one of the worst things she'd had to live through, before coming to Miami.

Her sister died at the hands of this maniac, Jigsaw, and now someone here was going to pick up where he left off. She couldn't explain why, but she just felt it in her bones that that was what was happening.

"If you're going to be sick, go sit in the Hummer." Ryan said stiffly, as he glared at the brunette a bit. Having recently had his emotions toyed with by Sam, he was in no mood for being a nice guy. Besides this, the lack of sleep he'd been getting also made him feel like an asshole as well.

Tim glared at Ryan then said in a calmer and nicer tone, "He's right. But no one thinks any less of you. I got sick on a few of my first cases. It's something that happens."

She didn't want to, but she didn't want to be the cause of a scene, either, and apparently CSI Wolfe hated her for an unknown reason already, so she sighed and said "I should be fine in a minute or something."

Ryan waved her off dismissively, and went back to processing evidence, bagging it, and carefully surveying the room the body was in.

Tim approached him and said calmly, "Not trying to be an ass here, but did you really have to snap at her like that? I mean you were the new guy once, think of how she feels right now, man."

Ryan took a deep and annoyed breath and then said calmly, but distantly, "I know. But I also know that we already have enough coming down on us with Sam. If she contaminates the scene.."

Eric approached Tim and explained quietly, "He and Sam were.. ya know.. So he took it harder than we did. Now he's going into blame himself, and shutting down mode, I think. He's been moody as all hell for a few weeks now. Snapping about everything, getting mad over nothing.."

Tim studied Wolfe then said "In other words, he's reverting back to that asshole I met that I wanted to punch in the face.. Right?"

"Yeah, sort of.. but he's not anymore.. He just needs time.."

"Well lashing out at somebody for something they can't control.." Tim started, then Eric smirked as he said " You.. think she's cute."

"I didn't say that, man."

"You never have to, Speedy. I know ya, remember?"

"Oh fuck you, Delko." Tim said as he smiled, raked his hand over his head and focused on getting more evidence.

When he looked up again, Veronica stood there, quietly, kit in hand. "I think I'm okay now."

He nodded, they fell into working side by side, quietly. If Ryan was going to be a dick, and Tim thought she was hot, worth getting to know, then he was going to use Ryan's being a dick to his advantage.

None of them saw the loft above, or the slimline dvd case that contained a dvd there until later. And only then when it was noticed, it was by Natalia who got a boost up and grabbed the dvd.

The writing on the front was crude and all the title area said was " I want to play a little game with you, Miami Dade Police Department."

Natalia practically threw the dvd into evidence and then rubbed her arms, because she'd gotten a sudden chill. Calleigh happened to read the title and she groaned as she muttered, "Guess we're invited now."

Noone knew what to make of this. Or even what to call the person responsible for the events that were about to come.

Once back at the lab, Walter slid the dvd into his computer and everyone stood around, watching quietly. The puppet thing on the screen was done in a similar fashion to the one Jigsaw himself used, but the key differences were the disturbing fact that the puppet on this dvd had no eyes, and it's jaw was wired up in a crazy manner, making the puppet's mouth flop in an unsettling fashion as it talked.

The screams from the background were what got their attention. But what the puppet told them next was equally as shocking and unsettling.

" I've been watching you. All of you. And now, I think I want to play a game with you. You all seem so smart. If you can catch me before I catch you all, you win."

The sound of heavy machinery starting and more screaming, bones crunching in the background had Calleigh clenching Eric's hand and Veronica and Natalia turning their heads, burying their faces in their hands or putting their hands over their ears.

The noise died down, and the puppet continued.. "I will kill again. In fact, I've already chosen my victim. You will find her license in your evidence. Tick Tock Tick Tock. I've already decided her fate.. Can you change my decision?"

The word DECIDER splashed across a black screen and the dvd ended.

The team looked at one another in horror, none of them sure what to say or do, because the man indirectly insinuated that at some point, during the game, he intended to come after each of them.

And the team, currently, was more unstable than it had been in a long time. Which was not a good thing, not at all.


	3. 03: The Game's Beginning Pt 2

[ The Game Begins, Part 2, Later the same day ]

"Hey, wait a minute.. That id.. The girl who owns it, she's on nights." Veronica said quietly, from behind Ryan Wolfe, who for the better part of the past two hours had been either being an asshole towards her, or just blatantly ignoring her.

He turned around, brow raised. "What do you mean?"

"What I said. She's on the night shift." Veronica said quietly, as she backed away from him. "I was on nights before I got switched to days, remember?" she asked, then mentally kicked herself. He wouldn't know that about her. Noone really knew her, if it all came down to it.

She made sure of it, since that whole thing in New York.

Eric walked in and Ryan pointed out what she'd just pointed out to him, showing him the id that had been referred to in the dvd they'd all watched when they'd gotten back from the scene earlier. As Eric went off to find Horatio, Veronica got back to work, her Ipod playing softly in her ears, blatantly ignoring the whispers, the wary glances she seemed to get from all of her new team mates except Tim Speedle as she did her work.

She'd sort of expected this after the Sam incident, they'd find it hard to trust someone else, because of how close Sam got to most of them. When she turned around again, she stood face to face with Walter who gestured to the hot pink string attached to her earbuds and asked with a slight smile, wary yet still a bit inviting, "What are you listening to?"

Veronica slid the earbud out, blushing because she heard Ryan making a jerk remark about it being unprofessional, which it was, but she was just plain uneasy around them all right now, unsure of her every single move, aware that everything she did was being watched, noted and monitored.

"It's nothing.. Some pop station. Kinda helps me concentrate.. Brain's wired funny, I suppose."

Walter smiled a little bit, feeling a bit more at ease, at least the new girl was actually talking now.

Natalia and Calleigh watched her closely and Calleigh asked, "So do you think we're setting ourselves up for Sam the Reboot?"

"I don't know.. But she seems like a really private person.. Those kinds never really go well with us. We're all so close. It's just weird. It's like she's hiding something."

Calleigh nodded and taking a deep breath as she muttered, "I just hope it doesn't wind up screwing us all over like Sam did."

Tim looked around the room. Truth be told, he didn't understand why they were all being like this. He'd seen lepers get a warmer reception. It didn't sit well with him, but he understood it. After all, the precinct was small, everyone knew about the drama that ensued with Sam's involvement in the recent events. It'd taken a stable and confident team, made them unstable, unsure of each other, and god forbid you be a new comer to the group, especially right now.

Eric wandered over with Horatio, who asked to see the ID. He studied it a moment and then said calmly, "I'm going to warn the night shift supervisor."

Eric nodded and then said "Veronica knows her, apparently.. The girl I mean."

"Doesn't mean she's somehow connected to this, Eric. I know we're all still wary, because of Sam betraying the trust the team has, but if we can't trust one another, then we won't be effective as a team. So you all need to try. Get to that level where you're all trusting again."

Eric studied the girl Horatio just bought up from nights to work with them on the team. Calleigh had said herself, in the Hummer earlier, that she was hiding something, her reaction to the scene they'd just left indicated as much. First scene or not, she reacted in a way that'd lead him to believe that this might have been her first time in the field, but it wasn't her first time seeing this much violence and blatant disregard for a human life.

That unsettled him, and it unsettled everyone else. But then again, he also knew that Horatio was right. They all needed to trust one another again, especially now that this case, these grizzly murders were now theirs to solve, they had to find this sick sadist and bring him to justice.

And they couldn't do that if they didn't trust one another. Not without someone getting hurt or evidence getting compromised in the process.

He took a deep breath and raked his hand through his wavy dark hair as he watched them all working before getting back to his own evidence that he'd gathered, worked on processing it.

Lunch couldn't have come any sooner for Veronica. As soon as it was time for their lunch break, she practically flew from the lab. She could just sense the unease, the tension and it made her tense. She got why they didn't trust her, she got why they were having a hard time getting to know her, and it'd only really been one day, but she felt like a leper.

She'd just sat down at a table in the cafeteria downstairs, her scuffed converse clad feet tucked beneath her lap and her earphones in, when she heard a throat clear, and felt the bench move, as if someone were sitting down.

Tim didn't really speak at first, but he also wasn't going to just let her think they all hated her. It didn't sit well, he'd seen how they could be with a new person, because he'd been a part of them for a while before becoming a Homicide detective. Walter apparently had the same idea, which of course had the rest of them reluctantly walking over.

"Uhh, hi.." Veronica said as her eyes darted aroud the table, and she sipped her energy drink through a straw, waiting on someone to speak or something.

"Hi." Eric finally said as he managed a smile. Calleigh spoke next as she asked, "So, what was it like working on the night shift?"

"Like days, but I had to drink a whole lot more of these to stay awake." Veronica said as she smiled, tapped the aluminum can her energy drink was in.

"Those things are bad for you." Ryan said disapprovingly, only to have the statement met with a shrug.

"I don't smoke, I don't do drugs, I barely drink.. I hate gambling and I'm not exactly a people person. Everyone has a vice. Sugar buzzes happen to be mine." She said as she fixed her eyes on his, a hint of a challenging smirk playing over her full lips.

Ryan fell silent. He felt like an asshole, but an even bigger one now, because he got the distinct feeling in her little speech just now, that she was in a round about way insinuating that she knew that he was exerting dominance, and she was in turn showing rebellion.

Tim glared at Ryan. God did he want to kick that bastard under neath the table right now. Did he really have to be that big of an asshole? "Seriously, Wolfe? Be a prick." He mouthed as he leaned in, looked at her phone screen over her shoulder, studying her playlist.

German heavy metal. Rammstein.

Not bad. He didn't care for the band personally, but at least she seemed to have varied music tastes.

Natalia spoke up and asked, "So that girl.. How well did you know her?"

"I knew of her. We weren't really friends." Veronica stated as she ate her pudding, and slid her spoon between her lips. She was getting more than a little sick of feeling like the leper for one day. She'd hoped that at lunch, they'd just leave her alone, stop going the extra mile to show her 'you don't fit in with us.'

Her cell phone began to go off, the ringer being the first few seconds of wrestler Randy Orton's theme song 'Voices' and she groaned. Could this day get any better? She wanted to be taken seriously, but her having gotten sick at the replay of one of her worst nights ever earlier at the crime scene, and now this was not the way to do it.

She smirked, shrugged it off and said calmly, "Yes. It's fake. No, I don't care." As she managed a laugh at her own expense.

She wasn't too worried about them liking her, in all honesty, she just wanted them to trust her. If she could laugh at herself, maybe they'd gradually trust her as a member of the team.

Natalia studied her as she typed in something on her phone, before looking back up, holding her gaze as she bit her lip and continued, " I just hope that we catch this sick fuck before he gets his hands on her."

Her eyes were calm and intent, hopefully a testament to how serious she was.

Something about her answer both unnerved and calmed the other members of the team's suspicions about her. On the one hand, it seemed as if this were personal for her, and on the other hand, they could tell she wasn't coming in with a hidden agenda.

As lunch drew to a close, they approached the labs again, only to be stopped in the hallway by Horatio who handed them a slip of paper and said grimly, "This was faxed to me personally, while you were all at lunch. Whoever Decider is, he wants us to know that we're running out of time to find the next victim or figure out his next move. I've got Detective Tripp going to pick up the girl who the ID belonged to right now, as we speak."

They walked into their labs, each quietly wondering if they were too late, if Decider had already struck again, and that was the reason for all the sickening background noises on the gory dvd left at the last scene earlier.

They all seemed more tense, more on edge, waiting to hear back anything. This was one of them, even if they weren't on the same team. The message and implications in Decider's having picked a fellow CSI, even if from night shift were obvious.

This game was personal.

But why? And when would he strike again? Was anyone safe?


	4. 04: The Game's Beginning Pt 3

[ The Game Begins, Part 3, That Night ]

She'd just gotten off work and started the walk to the parking garage. Of course, everyone else had pretty much teamed up, walked out together earlier. "Another perk of being an outsider." she mused to herself as she dug through her pockets for her keys, only to promptly find them and drop them.

She heard a throat clearing and turned around, scowling to find Ryan Wolfe standing there. " What'd I do now?" she practically spat, though making a concerted effort to keep her voice calm, devoid of any emotions.

Ryan shrugged and then asked with a smarmy smirk, "Don't know.. Did you do something?"

"No, but every time I look up today, there you are, riding my ass about something or other. Look, spare me the lecture. Yes, I realize it's dark in here, yes I realize I should have left when you guys did, but.."

"I saw you.. Processing evidence." Ryan said quietly ,as he watched her pulling various things from her pockets, with shaking hands. "What's wrong?" he asked, not so much in concern as in curiousity.

"Not a damn thing that a good stiff drink and a long hot shower won't fix. Nothing you need to worry about, nothing that'll affect you or anyone else." Veronica said as she aimed her key at the car, the headlights switching on to indicate that the doors were unlocked.

"Next time make someone walk out with you. This killer's after us." Ryan suggested as Veronica stopped, turned, her hand on her hip as she said calmly, "We've all gotta die sometime, Wolfe. I cheated it once before.. Maybe it's just time.. Even if it's not, I don't intend on hiding."

She opened her door, slid into the drivers seat, turned up her radio and then realized he was still standing there, hands in pockets. She rolled her eyes at herself, at her inability to not give a shit about a fellow team member, and one who'd done nothing all day but make her first day on the job a living nightmare.

"Get in."

Ryan raised his brow then chuckled as he aimed his own key at the car he drove. "I have a ride, but thanks." he said warily as she nodded, took off, satisfied that he had a ride home.

She'd just turned onto her street when she got a text from Tim. She raised a brow but replied, "S'up?"

Tim texted back a few moments later, "Come to this bar! Have some drinks.. Come on, you know you want to."

Veronica sighed, but before she could really type back no like she fully intended, she wound up responding that she'd be there in a few minutes.

And the entire drive over was filled with wondering why exactly Ryan had come out to the garage, and wondering why he'd come back to the station, because she was almost certain that she'd seen him leave. Shoving the thought out of her head, she parked and locked up her car, walking into the small bar.

Tim waved her over, and raked his hand through his longer hair, smirking at her. "Got ya a shot." as he shoved the glass in front of her.

"How the hell did you guess I drank Jack Daniels?" Veronica asked, her brow raised a bit, as she slammed down the shot.

"Saw the Jack Daniels hoodie in your car on my way out." Tim said with another smirk as he let his eyes wander around the bar. Truthfully, he was here on a hunch relating to the Decider.

He'd read up on the other two murders that'd already taken place, and realized that both had one thing in common. The person who'd been killed had been leaving a bar when it happened.

He just decided to do his own little stakeout, see if anyone raised his suspicions quietly. It wasn't that he didn't trust his team, but hell, Eric was married, Walter had a a girlfriend to get home to, Natalia was seeing someone, Lieutenant Caine would kick his ass 9 ways to Sunday if he even THOUGHT Tim was up to something, and Ryan, well...

He just didn't like the way the guy treated Veronica. And he wanted to use any chance he could to get to know her better.

Sometimes, you just look at a person and you know.. Something fits. Well, Tim never ignored his gut, so when he'd seen her this morning, and his gut told him to act on whatever it was he was feeling, he decided he wasn't going to start ignoring it now.

He growled a little when he saw the door to the bar open and watched Ryan and Walter, what appeared to be Walter's girlfriend Mia walking in.

He looked down to his beer and announced solemnly, "We've got company."

Veronica's head shot up and she rolled her eyes and blurted out, "Seriously? Now he's going to show up here and ruin my night too? As if he wasn't a big enough asshole to ruin my day?" as she called to the bartender for another shot.

"I'm gonna fuckin need it." she said to herself calmly before slamming it down, then going into an explanation about the two of them confronting one another in the parking garage. Tim laughed, of course, then said casually, "Don't let him get ya. Sooner or later they'll all come around. I'm not so impressed with him myself, to be honest. He's sorta the reason I took the promotion to Homicide."

Veronica raised a brow, then her eyes caught on the news behind the bar and she went pale, pointed. Ryan and Walter, Walter's girlfriend Mia sat down near them, and Walter looked at Tim, smiling and giving a wave as they too saw the news.

Apparently, Brie, the girl who's id they'd found with the dvd earlier, was stupid enough to leave the station. And she'd been found about an hour ago in a limestone quarry, hands and feet hacked off as if it'd been done in a hurry by a hacksaw, with her arms bound, a gag stuck in her mouth and several needlemarks in her arm.

"Whoa.. Are they saying Brie did drugs? The hell no she didn't." Veronica flared angrily, still loyal to her former team mates.

All eyes turned to Veronica who explained, "Her younger brother Ollie DIED from an OD. If anything, she went out of her way to help users. She worked at the center on the other side of town, helped organize interventions, everything. And she didn't drink either. She was Straightedge, actually. So how the hell did all those needle marks get in her arms?"

Finally, Ryan spoke up and said, "I'll call the coroner. We're working the case too, with the night shift.. He'll be able to tell me if they were post mortem or not."

Tim studied the tv and then remarked, " What I wanna know is what the hell did they do with her hands and feet? Why cut them off?"

Suddenly, noone was in the mood to drink anymore. Veronica sat watching, her two shots of alcohol limit reached by this point anyway, and her mind wandered around to all the clues they'd gotten earlier.

She knew them like the back of her hand, because she'd went back over that evidence before she left. Jigsaw used to leave small riddles to his "next targets" in his previous target's crime scenes, riddles so small that unless you knew what you were looking for, you'd over 90 percent of the time miss them.

And she'd gotten the feeling that this Decider person was a copycat of the original, Jigsaw.

The group left the bar, and went their seperate ways for the night while across town, Eric and Calleigh were tucking in the two children they'd adopted and reading to them for the night. Eric had just finished reading the girl a story, when the phone rang in the den.

Calleigh looked over from where she sat with their adopted son and raised a brow. Normally, if anyone called, it was either of their cell phones and not the house line itself. Eric picked up the phone and a grim and slightly raspy, definitely creepy and chilling voice said calmly, "Turn on the news, Officer Delko. There is something you might want to see."

Calleigh turned on the news, after having heard the voice on the other end tell her to do so, and the two of them watched in horror as the cameraman panned in on a new dead body, found in a limestone quarry, dumped there obviously, a few hours before midnight.

They looked at one another, the sense of dread creeping in and settling.

"Tick Tock.. Let's see if you can't change the decision of Fate this time." The voice said once again as the line went dead. Right away, Eric called Lieutenant Caine, and then the rest of their team mates.

It was official. The Decider was targeting the Miami Dade Police Department, more particularly, the members of the CSI teams, day and night.


End file.
